Within the White Jade Ice Palace, Luo Hai sat upright in his chair, a golden crown binding his hair, his presence overwhelming. A flicker of excitement flashed through his eyes and vanished in an instant.
I've finally found you! Luo Hai's heart stirred with secret elation, though his expression betrayed nothing.
For a peak expert of the Void King Second Stage — a figure of renown throughout the Star Domain — to be utterly helpless against a mere nobody like Yang Kai... Not only had the brat broken through his blockade on Emerald Star, but he had even slipped free of his tracking.
If not for his patience, the boy might truly have escaped for good.
Now let's see where you run! Luo Hai's spirits soared.
At his level of power, very little could still stir excitement in him. But the Void Thought Crystal left behind by the Demon King in the Blood Abyss had been enough to set his heart racing with greed, and the Emperor Treasure on Yang Kai's person made him salivate even more.
The former could give him a chance to break through to the Void King Third Stage. The latter could cause his strength to explode.
Once both treasures were in his hands, Luo Hai was confident he would become the foremost being in the entire Star Domain. When his word became law, no one in all the Star Domain would be able to stand against him!
And the crux of it all rested on Yang Kai.
Though Luo Hai's expression was expertly concealed, Chi Huo and Luo Li were both Void King Realm experts — they naturally caught that fleeting change in his demeanor.
Chi Huo's gaze shifted, and he wondered inwardly: Could that kid Yang Kai really have gotten his hands on some earth-shattering secret? Why else would Luo Hai be so interested in him?
Over a year ago, Luo Hai had suddenly arrived at Crimson Star, which had greatly surprised Chi Huo. Then, of all things, he had ordered the Fire Radiance Sect to search for Yang Kai's whereabouts. Chi Huo had grown suspicious from the start and had tried on many occasions to probe for the reason behind Luo Hai's interest, but Luo Hai had never revealed the true cause, leaving Chi Huo utterly frustrated.
Luo Li also appeared lost in thought, but the deep furrow of worry between her brows left her little appetite for speculation.
This time, Luo Hai and Chi Huo had not come with good intentions!
Before long, Yang Kai strode into the Ice Palace.
Inside the palace, apart from the three Void King Realm powerhouses, all the other Elders of Frozen Heart Valley stood behind Luo Li. There were no fewer than a dozen of them.
Behind Luo Hai and Chi Huo stood a sallow-faced young man with feeble vitality.
The son of the Fire Radiance Sect's Sect Master — Wei Feng!
At this moment, he was craning his neck to peer outward with barely contained excitement, as though eagerly awaiting someone's arrival. When his eyes fell upon Su Yan, they lit up immediately. An expression of intense excitement spread across his face — like a starving dog spotting a particularly succulent morsel, saliva practically dripping from his mouth.
But the moment he saw that Su Yan was actually holding hands with Yang Kai in an intimate display, his expression darkened instantly. A sinister gaze fixed itself upon Yang Kai, his eyes flickering with hatred and fury.
Where did this bastard come from, daring to hold his woman's hand? Utterly reckless! Wei Feng was practically about to explode with rage.
In that instant, Wei Feng had already written Yang Kai off as a dead man. His mind raced with schemes for how to torture the boy properly — to make him wish for death but find no release — to teach him that some women were not to be touched.
"Young one Bing Long greets Lord Luo Hai and Senior Chi Huo." Bing Long dipped into a graceful bow, then turned to look at Luo Li. "Grand Elder, the person has been brought."
Luo Li gave a faint nod without a word, her beautiful eyes fixed intently upon Yang Kai, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
Sensing her gaze, Yang Kai looked back.
This was his first time meeting Frozen Heart Valley's Grand Elder. Judging by the strength of her aura, she was roughly comparable to the red-haired elder elsewhere in the Ice Palace — both at the Void King First Stage. Far inferior to Luo Hai's overwhelming might.
But a Void King was still a Void King. Having mastered the power of a Domain, no Void King could be rivaled by a Return Void Stage cultivator. At the very least, Yang Kai could already feel immense pressure emanating from her.
"Brother Luo Hai, so this is the brat you've been looking for?" Chi Huo the Old Freak looked Yang Kai up and down and chuckled.
Luo Hai nodded. "That's right. It's him!"
"Quite the fine-looking young man. Brother Luo Hai has a sharp eye indeed. The person has been found — so what does Brother Luo Hai plan to do next?" Chi Huo asked, seemingly in a casual tone.
"What to do... Well, naturally I'll be taking him back to Emerald Star." Luo Hai wore a genial expression and addressed Yang Kai with a mock-scolding laugh. "You little rascal, I'm not going to eat you, so why do you avoid me like the plague? I merely saw that your aptitude is quite extraordinary, that you and I share a destined affinity, and I wished to pass on my mantle to you!"
His tone was easy and offhand, carrying the exasperated air of a mentor frustrated by an ungrateful talent — as if every word of it were the truth.
The many Elders of Frozen Heart Valley perked up, turning to look at Yang Kai in unison, their faces filled with envy.
To be singled out by an expert of Luo Hai's caliber — this Yang Kai was simply blessed by the heavens themselves! From this day forward, he was sure to make a name across the Star Domain and soar to the heights.
Yang Kai simply smiled faintly.
Chi Huo's seemingly clouded old eyes narrowed slightly, a shrewd gleam flickering within them.
Luo Li's delicate brows remained knitted, and she said not a word.
Of the entire Ice Palace, perhaps only Yang Kai himself and the other two Void King Realm experts believed even a single word of Luo Hai's speech.
Everyone knew this was nothing more than a pretext for Luo Hai to take Yang Away! As for taking him as a disciple and passing on his mantle — that was nothing short of a fantasy!
What manner of figure was Luo Hai? Would he really go to such extraordinary lengths just to take on a single disciple? If he wished to accept a student, he need only announce it to the world, and torrents of genius cultivators would flood toward Emerald Star, lining up at his door to beg for entry.